THE PORTUGUESE BATTALION:

Force Behind Manufahi's Peace-Keeping

by:  Bernardo Roa

"…PAPA-Q-BAS….."

"…ESCUTO…"

Those words must be familiar to anyone in Manufahi, as they are heard a hundred times a day at frequency 13.  The words may sound Greek or Latin to most, but they surely are words of confidence to international staff and the locals alike. Those words could mean a lot of things:  making the people of the district feel safe and insure their freedom of movement.  It may also mean transmittal of reports on their troops' routine patrols.    

The exchanges of words are 'duty-calls'.   

Yet, beyond those words of duty are words that pertains to the very reason why these contingent of marines or 'fuzileiros' are so loved by the people of Manufahi. They do rehabilitation work of the Wedauberek - Knoa Alas road, a project where they not only contributed their sweat and money, but unfortunately, including blood and tears.

Sometime last October, two of their peers were 'martyred' in the hills of Alas, as they tried to survey the mentioned road.  They also transport people and materials to where they are required all over the district.  People call on them even at wee-hours of the night to attend to patients that needed to be transported to the nearest clinic, and in most cases, to Same.  They are called upon by the youth to be engaged in sports, as in football. 

Of all these 'off-duty' activities that the PorBatt has willingly been into, the most remarkable, as majority had observed, is their ability (including their capability and capacity) to group all sectors together and sit down to discuss and negotiate, eat, laugh and simply have fun.  They even opened a portion of their 'camp' at the Postu to cater to the needs of staff and friends who may want to get together at any time of the day and night. 

But they'll soon be gone.  Six months is not that long, after all.  Their replacement must be made of the same stuff to follow what these batch had done to the people of Manufahi, if not to do more. 

1Lt. Henrique Jose Marques Alberto, the Camp Commander, had these words to impart:  "…..understand the people….their culture….and do the best to be of help… know that eventually they want to be on their own…" 

From all of us, we say:  'ESCUTO'…..